Blown Transport
by Dawnstorm101
Summary: SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 2x04 X-Ray Penny! Murdoc's next move left Mac trapped with diminished brainpower yet again, and he needs Jack's help to get through it.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First of all, I need to say thank you so much for all the reviews I got on Reunion. I only expected a couple, but I've gotten 12 in under a day! You have no idea how happy this has made me. And an additional thank you to everyone who welcomed me to the fandom - I'm glad to be here. I guess you can think of this little one-shot as a thank you for making me so eager to keep writing for this fandom.

* * *

 _Not again. Not again, not again, not again._

His heart raced, thudding painfully against his chest from the moment Mac heard Murdoc's first whistled note. His head throbbed and Murdoc's face slid in and out of focus, only adding another layer of creepiness to the man. Murdoc's voice sent shivers down his spine and he struggled, desperate to _not_ get recaptured and figure out what all those tools were for. But his feet were trapped and his upper body was stuck, one bar below and one above making it impossible to wiggle free quickly.

To his immense relief, Murdoc left him in the transport.

His thumping heart didn't slow down.

"Jack," he mumbled, fumbling with one of the bars. He should've been able to get it loose, but everything was fuzzy and for the second time he couldn't focus, couldn't move, couldn't figure anything out- "Jack!"

At his desperate yell, the older agent jerked awake. "What happened?"

"I'm stuck," Mac rasped, shifting his energies to yanking at his feet. "I can't get out-"

"All right, all right, just breathe, kid," Jack advised. His own path to freedom was far simpler, but he had to take time to get Cage out of the transport, and Mac fought off unconsciousness as he waited for his partner.

"All right, I'm here," Jack finally said, slipping in beside Mac. Before he even started looking at Mac's predicament, he rested a hand on his heaving chest. "I told you to breathe."

Mac batted the hand away. "Just get- get me out."

Jack caught his hand and pinned it against Mac's chest. "I will, but it'll be a lot easier if you're not panicking."

Closing his eyes, Mac nodded, and did his best to follow Jack's "In, out, in, out," coaching. Slowly, his breaths turned from rapid and shaky to manageable and decently steady.

"There, that's better," Jack said, patting his shoulder before moving on.

"Just get on with it," Mac grunted.

Jack gave the bars experimental tugs. "Yup, I'd say you're stuck."

"You're so observant," Mac snapped, scrubbing a hand over his face as his breathing threatened to speed up again.

"Who hit us?" Jack asked, continuing to shuffle around.

He was just trying to distract Mac and he knew it, but he answered anyway. "Murdoc. He took the fake teacher with him, too."

Jack shot a confused look at Mac. "Why?"

Trying to remember what he'd overheard, Mac shut his eyes, but saw only the room he'd been held in and snapped them back open. "Uh… Something about a business venture? Murdoc was recruiting for something."

"Great. A murder tank led by Murdoc. That's just what we need."

Mac's feeble attempt at a laugh was more of a strained groan cut off by a hiss of pain as the bar over his ankles suddenly clamped down harder. "Ow!"

"Sorry," Jack said. "But one end of this is just trapped in the steering wheel, so if I can get it free, it might be easier to get you free."

"Do it," Mac ordered roughly, ironically grabbing on of the bars trapping him for support.

"It's gonna hurt," Jack warned. Before Mac could take a breath to reply, Jack pushed the bar down and he screamed. Then Jack tugged on it, dragging it across Mac's skin, and suddenly the pressure was gone.

Mac jerked his legs up with a gasp, grabbing just above the fiery pain. "Ow," he repeated weakly.

Jack returned to his side, turning his attention to the bar over Mac's stomach. He looked up and pushed against the floor, the corners of his mouth lifting when it gave in a bit. "All right buddy, I'm gonna pull this thing up on the count of three. You won't have much extra room, but with it and your freed legs, you should be able to slide out. Ok?"

Mac nodded, positioning his hands and feet to maneuver himself to freedom.

"Three… two… one!"

With a grunt of effort, Jack heaved upwards, the transport creaking in protest. Mac lifted his head and shoulders clear of the bar beneath them and pulled himself forward, his ankles protesting as he used them to anchor himself. Then he flattened himself, turning his face to the side, and slid beneath the middle bar like a bad game of limbo.

And then he was free.

He rolled onto his stomach, beginning to shake as the adrenaline wore off. Jack guided him out, and when Mac felt warm sunlight on his entire body, he dropped to the pavement.

"Hey! Careful with that head of yours," Jack rebuked, leaning over him to take a look at the back of it. "Yeah, you've definitely got a concussion already."

"At least I'm free," Mac said. Only then did he hear sirens wailing, and he sighed. "Those guys have terrible timing."

"It's all about suspense, my friend," Jack joked, sitting back and resting a hand on Mac's shoulder.

Mac dropped his hand over Jack's, letting that take the place of the hug he was too exhausted to sit up for. "No more tight spaces, ok?"

"Definitely," Jack agreed, squeezing his shoulder. "No more tight spaces."

* * *

A/N: I dunno if the show is gonna really deal with this cliffhanger next week, but I couldn't wait to find out, (and even if it does, the emotional impact probably won't be involved) so I wrote this. And I think I'm gonna headcanon that Mac has at least some claustrophobia after a day like this.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Someone asked for a second chapter, and thankfully my muse was happy to provide! And again, thank you all _so much_ for the reviews.

* * *

Jack hovered near Mac as an EMT stitched up the gash on the back of his head, waving off any EMTs that tried to tend to him. Mac was gripping the stretcher he sat on, his head ducked and his breaths hitching. Jack squeezed his shoulder, doing his best to distract him.

"You know," he broached carefully, "this would be easier if you let her give you some pain meds."

"No," Mac snapped roughly, pressing the insides of his elbows against his sides. "No needles."

"Ok, ok," Jack said quickly, backing off before he panicked – it was enough of a miracle he was allowing the one sewing up his head. "Just keep going the old-fashioned way, then."

Mac shot a guilty glance at him. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"No, no, you're fine," Jack said, moving his thumb in circles. "You've had one hell of a long day."

"And… done," the EMT announced, setting her materials down and flashing a reassuring smile at Mac. He slumped and leaned against Jack's hand. "If you'd like to get into the ambulance so we can take you to the hospital-"

Mac stiffened again, and, remembering his promise, Jack spoke up. "No, thank you, I'll just take him home."

The EMT pursed her lips. "Sir, your friend has a concussion, and should be monitored for at least 24 hours."

"I know the drill. I'll watch him," Jack reiterated. "After the day he's had, he's only getting in the cramped back of an ambulance if he's actively dying."

The EMT eyed him a moment longer, debating, and finally relented. "All right. But if he shows _any_ sign of worsening, call 911 immediately."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack promised. "Come on, Mac."

Jack braced his partner as he slid off the stretcher, but he still winced when his feet hit the ground. "Are your ankles all right?"

"They're not broken or anything. They just… ache… a little."

"Riiiight," Jack said. "That was convincing."

"Let's just get to the…" Mac trailed off, realizing how they had to get home. "…car."

Jack wrapped a firm arm around Mac's shoulders and guided him forward. "I'll drive as quick as possible, ok?"

"Uh, no you won't," Matty said sharply.

Jack turned to see her walking towards them. "But-"

She pointed over her shoulder at a black van. "You're injured too, Dalton, so Bozer's driving."

"Oh. Yay…"

Mac just lurched reluctantly forward. "Might as well get this over with," he muttered.

Jack and Mac settled in the back, Mac immediately rolling his window down and closing his eyes. "I hate today."

Bozer started driving, using the rearview mirror to shoot a worried glance at his friend before focusing on the road. Jack put his hand back on Mac's shoulder and left it there. "I know, kid. So do I."

-MG-

After an endless drive of Jack and Bozer keeping up a stream of conversation to distract Mac, they finally pulled up to the house. Mac bailed instantly, sinking to the ground a few steps from the car and putting his face in shaking hands. Jack gave him a few moments before kneeling beside him.

"I can see the appeal, but this really ain't the best spot to rest, kid."

Mac huffed a feeble laugh. "I don't care. I'm not going inside."

"You can stay on the chaise longue on the porch," Bozer offered. "I can bring out blankets and water and stuff."

Jack pointed at Bozer. "I like the way you think. Does that sound good, Mac?"

Peering out between his fingers, Mac contemplated them both for a moment. Then he dropped his hands, revealing that he was biting his lip. "Fine."

While Bozer went off to get the aforementioned blankets and water and stuff, Jack helped Mac up and led him to the porch. Mac breathed a sigh of relief as he stretched out on the chair, his head tilted to keep pressure off his injury, and wrapped his arms around himself. Jack picked up one chair and moved it next to Mac. Bozer came out with two water bottles and two blankets, then went back inside to get some sleep.

"Stop staring at me," Mac said, even though his eyes were closed.

Jack leaned back, forcing himself to look away. "I'm not staring."

"I can feel it."

"I'm observing you."

"So you _are_ staring at me."

"…Just shut up."

Mac smiled triumphantly. "Knew it."

"Oh, just go to sleep."

Mac cracked open one eye. "Thanks."

"For what?" Jack asked, taking a swig of water.

"For staring."

Slowly, Jack swallowed. "Now I know you have brain damage."

Mac chuckled and shook his head once, wincing. "I just mean… thanks for not, you know-"

"Leaving?" Jack checked. "Mac, I'll never leave you. Like I said, I'm your bodyguard – even when the bad guy's your own brain. Speaking of which, you should probably catch some shuteye before I have to wake you up to make sure that's still working right."

"It never worked right," Mac joked.

Jack chuckled. "Buddy, I think your brain works better than anyone else's."

Mac blinked his eyes open, his gaze unfocused. "Not today."

Jack very lightly smacked his shoulder. "None of today was your fault, and if you try to say it was, I will smack you upside the head."

Mac didn't even bother pretending to cover his face. "You wouldn't."

"You're right, I wouldn't. Now go to sleep."

Mac adjusted his position, snuggling deeper into his chair. A moment later, he was fast asleep and snoring lightly.

After glancing around to make sure Bozer wouldn't see, Jack rested his hand amidst Mac's blond locks. _You are never leaving my side again._

Unconsciously, Mac pressed into his touch. Jack smiled, a mixture of relief that Mac was there and alive, and a touch of the love he'd always felt for his eccentric little brother.

"Good night, kid."

* * *

A/N: I admit, that got cheesy, but I'm a sucker for platonic snuggling between my brOTPs, ok? It's my kryptonite. It doesn't happen enough. In any fandom. (Honestly, I love Hawaii Five-0 for the fact that Steve and Danny can actually say "I love you" to each other without feeling awkward.)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The muse stuck with me for this one, thank goodness, but I'm gonna warn y'all that three seems to typically be its limit for stuff like this... :/ That's why this is still marked as complete even though I've been adding to it.

* * *

When Mac opened his eyes, he was back in the torture room.

He bolted upright, gasping as pain flared through him. His wrists jerked against the cuffs and the needle pinched his arm. The room bounced in and out of focus, dizzying him to the point of fighting back nausea.

"You really shouldn't try to escape."

He couldn't hold back a moan of dread at the sound of Murdoc's slick voice. _It was all a dream,_ he realized, clutching the armrests as that sank in. _I never got free._

"No, you didn't," Murdoc confirmed. Mac bit his lip as he realized he'd spoken aloud. "And to ensure you wouldn't try again, I made some… modifications."

Murdoc gestured at his feet, and Mac looked down.

And immediately vomited over the side of the chair.

Murdoc tilted his head. "Broken bones are so messy, aren't they? And compound fractures… Ouch."

Mac swallowed back another heave and managed to glare at Murdoc. "I won't tell you where your son is."

Murdoc smiled his sadistic smile and turned to the metal table beside him. "Not willingly, no." He took his time selecting a tool, finally turning around with a wicked curved knife in his hand. "But after a little bit of fun… who knows?"

As Murdoc advanced, Mac pressed into his chair. His heart pounded. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He glanced at the door. _Any time now, Jack._

Murdoc slashed down his shirt, leaving it hanging open. He rested the knife's tip right over Mac's erratically beating heart.

 _Any. Time. Now. Jack._

Murdoc pushed down, dragging the knife over his chest.

"JACK!" he shrieked.

"Whoa, Mac! I'm right here, buddy."

Mac bolted awake, the scream dying in his throat. He doubled over, tugging the blanket off his ankles with one hand and grabbing his arm with the other.

No compound fractures. No IV needle. No dark stone walls. No cuffs.

"God," he moaned weakly, dropping his face into his palms. He worked his fingers into his hair, twisting until the strands tugged painfully against his scalp.

Slowly, he became aware of Jack's hands on his back and shoulder. "Nightmare?" his partner asked.

Mac nodded.

Jack lifted one hand to tug on Mac's fingers. "Well, you're awake now, and I promise you're safe, so stop trying to make yourself go bald."

Reluctantly, Mac let his hands fall to his lap. He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm down.

"There ya go, just breathe. Are you ok? Do you want food or something? I can yell at Bozer until he wakes up so he can get you some."

"As amusing as that sounds," Mac said, "no thanks. I'm just… uh, cold, apparently."

"So I should yell at him to get you some more blankets?"

"No, don't wake him up. I should probably, um- maybe I just shouldn't sleep on a wooden chair right now."

Jack arched an eyebrow, pointing over his shoulder at the door. "I thought you didn't want to go inside."

"I don't," Mac agreed. He looked down at his hands, realized one was resting on the armrest, and pulled it against him. "I just- I can't really- at least a bed is more comfy, right?" he mumbled.

Understanding dawned on Jack's face and he nodded. "Come on, then."

Carefully, Mac stood, gripping Jack's proffered arm as his aching ankles took on his weight. As he limped forward, he noticed Jack stepping oddly, too. "Are you all right?"

"What? I'm fine," Jack said quickly – too quickly.

Mac stopped and crossed his arms.

"Ok, maybe my knee banged against something pretty hard," Jack conceded. "And my wrists hurt cause I was holding the steering wheel pretty tight when we were all flying about, but they're no worse off than your ankles. And if they weren't bad enough to notice until after you fell asleep, clearly I'm fine."

Mac's eyebrow rose, and he lifted his chin challengingly. "Prove to me you don't need a hospital trip."

Jack glanced at the stairs they had to climb and back at Mac. "Ok, I will."

Before Mac could even protest, Jack had scooped him up in his arms.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?"

"I ain't gonna watch you limp up those things, get a dizzy spell halfway up, and fall back down. Now stop struggling before we both break our necks."

Grumbling, Mac put his head on Jack's shoulder and pulled his feet in so Jack didn't whack them against the wall. "If Bozer sees us…"

Jack ignored him and moved forward. He didn't set him down once they were upstairs, but rather carried him through his bedroom's open doorway and put him on the bed. As Mac took his shoes off and slid under the covers, Jack went around and opened the doors and windows, leaving some lights on. Then he plopped down on the other side of the bed and switched the TV on.

A smile crept over Mac's face as he realized what Jack was trying to do. "Good night, Jack."

"I'd say sleep tight, but I don't want you falling into a coma."

Mac snorted. "I'll try to avoid that."

"Good. Sleep tight, then. For real this time."

Mac flashed a sarcastic thumbs-up before letting sleep embrace him again.

-MG-

If, in the morning, Bozer found the pair fast asleep, TV still on, with Mac using a partially upright, drooling Jack as a pillow, well, he wasn't going to say anything.

He would, however, take a picture. For potential blackmail purposes.

* * *

A/N: Platonic snuggling may be my kryptonite, but platonic snuggling while sleeping would be the death of me if one of my brOTPs ever actually got to do that onscreen. Probably literally the death of me.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Looks like the muse stuck with me for one last chapter, so I present to you a little more hurt/comfort combined with some team humor to wrap this up. Thanks for reading, guys!

* * *

When Mac woke up, he was sprawled across the bed but still tucked securely under the covers. He sat up slowly, holding his head as it started aching. But he noted that it hurt less than yesterday, much to his relief. As he blinked to adjust to the light shining in through the windows, the smell of breakfast cooking reached his nose, so he made his way downstairs.

"Sleeping Beauty awakens," Jack joked from where he sat at the table reading the newspaper.

"About damn time," Bozer added, glancing up from his cooking scrambled eggs and waffles. "We waited ages for you to wake up."

"Yeah, well, you can blame Jack for that," Mac said, taking a seat beside him.

Jack threw up his hands indignantly. "How is that my fault?"

Mac tapped his head. "You were supposed to be waking me up to check on me. I don't remember being woken up."

Jack cleared his throat as he flipped the page. "I, uh, fell asleep. I had a long day too, ya know."

Bozer stifled a laugh and Mac arched an eyebrow, glancing between the two. Jack was far too embarrassed and Bozer far too amused by his words. Why…

Suddenly, he remembered where Jack had been sitting. And the position Mac had been in when he woke up.

 _Oh. Well. Crap._

Mac cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. "So, uh, is that breakfast for all of us?"

"It better be," Matty said, walking into the room. "I received a vague text telling me not to eat breakfast before coming here, so I'm starving."

"Whoa! You actually listened to that?" Bozer exclaimed.

"We all did, apparently," Cage replied, entering behind Matty and shooting a glance at Jack. "I didn't know people still read newspapers."

"Don't you guys know how to ring a doorbell?" Mac asked, cutting off Jack's indignant spluttering.

Riley came in last. "We were on the deck, doofus," she told him, putting a light kiss on his temple before sitting beside him. "You doin' ok?"

The question suddenly made him a little too aware of the where the walls were and he had to suppress the urge to rub his wrists, but he didn't feel a massive surge of panic, so he nodded. "Yeah."

She smiled and turned to Bozer. "You done yet?"

"Depends. Does the chef get a hello kiss too?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "Get tortured by Murdoc, and then we'll talk."

"Uh, I'll get back to you on that. But," he added more joyfully, picking up a pair of plates, "breakfast is served."

Bozer set the plates down and front of Jack and Mac, and he happily dug in, realizing he'd hardly eaten the day before. He hadn't really had much of a chance.

The food came and went. Between yesterday's events, the subsequent injuries sustained by half of their group, and the fact that they had no mission that day, the group was content to sit there and talk. For a little while, Mac was happy to join in, embracing the ability to laugh and not be alone with a murderous psychopath.

But eventually, he knew he had to get outside. Just to reassure himself that he could. So he excused himself and tried not to look like he was hurrying to the deck. He also tried to ignore the way the others were not-so-subtly watching him leave.

Once outside, he took a deep breath and leaned against the railing. He closed his eyes and just focused on breathing calmly.

After a while, someone came to join him. Their footsteps were deliberately loud to announce their presence. When they reached his side, they slipped a paperclip into his hands, and he instinctively started reshaping it.

"You told Riley were you doing ok. Is that true?"

Mac finally opened his eyes, unsurprised to see Jack beside him. "Physically, yeah. Emotionally… I mean, I managed to stay inside for a couple hours, didn't I?"

Jack nodded. "You did."

Mac huffed a frustrated laugh. "God, I need praise for managing to stay inside. That's so pathetic."

"No, it's not," Jack rebuked sternly, angling to face Mac. "You were trapped and tortured and nearly killed multiple times yesterday – I'd be _very_ concerned if you were unaffected. Right now, your only concern is relaxing until you're fit for field duty again."

"And what if I never am?"

Jack just shook his head. "Nah, man, you'll get better."

"I dunno, Jack. I just-" He glanced over his shoulder at the house towering above them. "I get the feeling this… this claustrophobia is here to stay."

"So?" Jack scoffed. "You're scared of heights, and that never stops you when it really matters. If it's possible, someone else can get into small spaces for you, and if it's necessary, I have faith you can do it."

Mac looked up at him. "You really think that?"

"Hells yeah, man," Jack said, as if anything else was incomprehensible.

Mac smiled. "Good to know."

Jack clapped him on the back. "Great. Now, before this gets any sappier and we get a repeat of last night – which we are never talking about again – I'm gonna go get some beer."

"Wait, what happened last night?"

Mac and Jack spun around to see that everyone else had come outside. The three women stood in a line looking very nosy, while Bozer just stood behind them smirking knowingly.

"Nothing," Mac and Jack said simultaneously. "Absolutely nothing."

Their response to that was to put on their game faces and step closer in a very menacing way.

 _Crap._


End file.
